- December 4, 2025
The Palm Coast City Council has accepted a transfer of transportation impact fees from Flagler County to address the traffic congestion problems at the Seminole Woods Boulevard and State Road 100 intersection.
Senior city planner Phong Nguyen said the intersection is failing on the south side's northbound turn lanes. In the afternoon and evening the left turn is filled an encroaches on the through lanes, he said.
In a preliminary concept plan, the city is looking to add a left turn by either adding it into the median area or by changing one of the through lanes into a left turn lane, turning the right turn lane into a through lane and then adding a new right turn lane. The lot adjacent to the right turn lane is undeveloped.
Nguyen said staff would like to also finish connecting an east-west connector road that runs behind BJ's and the RaceTrac gas station to connect to Seminole Woods.
Nguyen said the legal issue there is the easement is owned by an association of three property owners, one of which owns the RaceTrac gas station.
Nguyen said city staff is still communicating with the association for access to complete the connector.
Vice Mayor Theresa Carli Pontieri asked Nguyen for an update for the new traffic light at Cornerstone as well, as she said she continues to get complaints about the light's timing.
Nguyen said the light is still under the jurisdiction for the Florida Department of Transportation, which is finishing a punch list before it turns over control of the light to Palm Coast.
"So right now, we have no control over it," Pontieri said.
The transportation impact fees were collected by Flagler County from five of the parcels at the Cornerstone at Seminole Woods development: BJ's Wholesale, Chase Bank, Miller's Ale House, Chick-Fil-A and Longhorn Steakhouse. The last parcel in the plaza is still under construction, Nguyen said.
Councilman Ty Miller asked why the impact fees were collected by the county. Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston said the county collected the fees before the Cornerstone plaza was annexed into Palm Coast.
In the case of BJ’s Wholesale, Johnston said, the developer agreed to pay Flagler County’s impact fees and then pay the difference of Palm Coast’s impact fees as well, as Palm Coast’s is more than Flagler County's.
“But that is not the case with all developments,” Johnston said.
"From a solely strategic standpoint, if I was a developer, and one jurisdiction was cheaper, I would develop through them and then annex it later," Miller said.
The transferred fees total approximately $305,000, Nguyen said.
In return for the fees, the city is agreeing to improve the intersection within five years.
“If we do nothing By Dec. 31, 2030 We have to return [the fees] to the county,” Nguyen said.
The council vote 5-0 to accept the impact fees and agreement with Flagler County. The Flagler County Commission approved the transfer at its Aug. 4 meeting.
